We trace how affordable, reliable material extrusion is changing prosthetics and orthotics—from student labs to jungle clinics—and why toolpaths, not just materials, will drive the next gains in comfort, strength and cost. Real patient stories show the economics and ethics of access at scale.
• season launch and mission to improve patient outcomes
• shift from tinkering to reliable, prosumer 3D printers
• material extrusion vs FDM and why terminology matters
• nonplanar layers, multimaterial potential, pellet economics
• toward truly digital extrusion with better sensing and AI
• application focus over generalization in O&P innovation
• case study on low-cost pediatric prosthesis with reuse of CAD data
• orthoses workflows moving toward “toaster-like” simplicity
• education pathways as students learn on clinic-grade printers
• materials outlook: TPU, TPE, silicone prospects, polycarbonate tradeoffs
• variable density, air pockets, and hybrid fill strategies for comfort
• polar kinematics and toolpath planning as the next frontier
• print farms, software orchestration, and scaling production
Special thanks to Advanced 3D for sponsoring this episode.
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